When the letter is ready, it is brought into the public meeting, and the whole of it, without interruption, is first read audibly.  It is then read over again, and canvassed, sentence by sentence.  Every sentence, nay every word, is liable to alteration; for any one may make his remarks, and nothing can stand but by the sense of the meeting.  When finally settled and approved, it is printed and dispersed among the members throughout the nation.  This letter may be considered as informing the society of certain matters, that occurred in the preceding year, and as conveying to them admonitions on various subjects.  This letter is emphatically stiled “the General Epistle.”  The yearly meeting, having now lasted about ten days, is dissolved after a solemn pause, and the different deputies are at liberty to return home.

This important institution of the yearly meeting brings with it, on every return, its pains and pleasures.  To persons of maturer years, who sit at this time on committee after committee, and have various offices to perform, it is certainly an aniversary of care and anxiety, fatigue and trouble.  But it affords them, on the other hand, occasions of innocent delight.  Some, educated in the same school, and others, united by the ties of blood and youthful friendship, but separated from one another by following in distant situations the various concerns of life, meet together in the intervals of the disciplinary business, and feel, in the warm recognition of their ancient intercourse, a pleasure, which might have been delayed for years, but for the intervention of this occasion.  To the youth it affords an opportunity, amidst this concourse of members, of seeing those who are reputed to be of the most exemplary character in the society, and whom they would not have had the same chance of seeing at any other time.  They are introduced also at this season to their relations and family friends.  They visit about, and form new connections in the society, and are permitted the enjoyment of other reasonable pleasures.

Such is the organization of the discipline or government of the Quakers.  Nor may it improperly be called a government, when we consider that, besides all matters relating to the church, it takes cognizance of the actions of Quakers to Quakers, and of these to their fellow-citizens, and of these again to the state; in fact of all actions of Quakers, if immoral in the eye of the society, us soon at they we known.  It gives out its prohibitions.  It marks its crimes.  It imposes offices on its subjects.  It culls them to disciplinary duties.[32]This government however, notwithstanding its power, has, as I observed before, no president or head, either permanent or temporary.  There is no first man through the whole society.  Neither has it any badge of office, or mace, or constables staff or sword.  It may be observed also, that it has no office of emolument, by which its hands can be strengthened, neither minister, elder, [33]clerk,